Order Reserved for October 4; Concerns Raised Over Tampering of Basement Contents
Sep- 30, 2023 : In Varanasi, a court wrapped up the hearing on Saturday regarding a petition requesting the surrender of keys to the basement of the Gyanvapi mosque complex to the Varanasi district magistrate. The court has reserved its order on the matter, which is scheduled to be delivered on October 4.
The basement in question, known as “Vyas ji ka Tehkhana,” had been barricaded and locked in 1993. Prior to this closure, the basement was utilized for worship by Somnath Vyas, a priest, as stated by petitioner Madan Mohan Yadav.
Yadav has expressed concerns about the potential tampering of the basement’s contents and, therefore, has sought the key to be entrusted to the district magistrate.
District Judge AK Vishvesh had, on Friday, adjourned the case to Saturday for further hearings following the Kashi Vishwanath Trust’s request for additional time to prepare their argument.
During the proceedings, Yadav claimed that the advocate representing the Kashi Vishwanath Trust stated that they had no objections to handing over the basement keys to the district magistrate.
District government counsel Rajesh Mishra confirmed that the court has now reserved its order on the matter until October 4.
It’s worth noting that the Archaeological Survey of India is currently conducting a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, located adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, to ascertain whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed atop a Hindu temple.
